260,000 applications. 26,000 tickets.
Those aren't great odds.
Only one of every 10 Irish applications for a Euro 2016 group game will be successful.
275,000 applications have already been processed by Irish people - 260,000 of those for the three group games.
Fan tickets are hard to come by. Ireland supporters have been allocated between just six and seven per cent of match-day seats for their first three games of Euro 2016.
The allocation looks like this:
June 13 v Sweden - 13,000 tickets out of 81,338 at the Stade de France.
June 18 v Belgium - 6,000 tickets out of 42,115 in Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux.
June 22 v Italy - 7,000 tickets out of 50,186 in Stade Pierre-Mauroy (Lille).
And, whilst I
ndependent.ie revealed today that there will be 15 per cent more tickets than normal available for Ireland, the chances of landing one are still grim.
Abbey Travel are usually allocated a portion of away-match tickets (15 per cent) but, under a new UEFA rule, the FAI's official travel partner cannot have them because tickets can't be sold as part of any travel or hospitality package.
That's good but it still leaves nine out of 10 people without a ticket.
There's still another way.
42 per cent of each group game's tickets are on general public sale and the deadline is not until February 1.
As long as you are a "natural person above 18 years of age with legal capacity to enter into an agreement for the purchase of tickets", you can apply.
It's the same process. Fill out the
electronic form online, pick your matches, and get it in before 11am on February 1.
Obviously it's opened to a much wider population but it's another option if you want to maximise your chances of getting to a game.
